Christopher Spitzmiller
I’ve been eying a number of gourd lamps like the ones above for my living room. I love this style of lamp not just for the beauty of its shape but for the symbolism that the gourd represents. The gourd is most commonly recognized as a symbol of longevity and good fortune, stemming from ancient eastern traditions where the gourd was once used as a drinking vessel. These bottle gourds were carved from a gourd fruit which is thick-skinned, oddly shaped and similar in nature to a squash or a pumpkin.
The fruits were often dried and then hallowed out into a vessel used to store and drink water or rice wine. In Taoist and Budhist traditions, it was believed that the gourd was filled with the nectar of longevity and health which was consumed by the Gods. In Feng Shui, it is believed that the gourd, when placed in one’s home, will bring longevity and good luck into the lives of its inhabitants. It’s no wonder why we’ve seen gourd shaped lamps used in interiors for so long! Here are some of the gourd lamps that I’m obsessed with right now:
Lindsay Single Gourd Lamp
Medium Three Ball Lamp
Left: Alexander Lamp / Right:Stout Double Gourd Lamp
Ridged Single Gourd Lamp
If money were no object I’d buy a pair of Chritopher Spitzmiller’s beautifully handcrafted lamps which range in price from $650-$2250 per lamp. I’d take any of the above!
Left: Small Gourd Form Lamp / Right: Large Baluster Form Vase Lamp
Left: Medium Mokko Form Lamp / Right: Mini Fang Gourd Lamp
These options above from Circa Lighting are all beautiful and much more reasonably priced. The ones that you see here range from $210-$420. Notice a trend in the colors I’m gravitating toward?
Robert Abbey Double Gourd Lamp
Robert Abbey Triple Gourd Lam
These gourd lamps from Robert Abbey are least expensive and most widely accessible selling at mass lighting retailers such as Lamps Plus and even Macy’s. Here in New York, they’re currently on sale at Gracious Home…I’m a sucker for a sale…so the Robert Abbey Double Gourd lamp shown here might be the winner. Stay tuned! And now that you’ve had a little history lesson on gourds and have seen my favorite picks, here’s a look at more beautiful gourd lamps in context.
Albert Hadley. Photo via StyleCourt
My all-time favorite room by Miles Redd
11 Comments
Spitzmiller’s lamps are all absolutely gorgeous! Have you ever seen how they are made?
I have seen all of those Circa lamps in person and they are quite nice. You definitely can’t beat the quality for the money! Let us know what you pick!
Hi there,
Thanks for the great post on lamps. They have been a bit of stumbling block in two of my rooms – my bedroom and study – as well. Want to pass along a tip – I found two great single gourd lamps with drum style shades at HomeGoods for $40 each. If you are not familiar with the store, they are the home goods division of Marshalls and TJ Maxx. Bot sure if they have a store in Manhattan, but I visited the one in Paramus, NJ. Definitely worth a stop with your list in hand, if you are in NJ. Good luck and look forward to seeing your improvements.
great choice of lamps..
I just chose the robert abbey triple gourd lamp for my bedroom. I think they are fantastic for the price. Go for that!
You can also look out for some designer and classy lamps from Studylite at:
http://studylite.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30&Itemid=38&cid=cm
I am in love with these lamps! I would gladly take one or two in any color!!!
i, too, am obsessed with the gourd style lamp! target carries one….i can’t figure out if i like it or not… it seems like the proportions are just a smidge “off”? i’ve been waiting for the williams-sonoma vase lamp to go on sale, because i think it’s shape is timeless and perfectly proportioned. perhaps it will never go on sale, though, since it is so classic? i’m currently trying out a restoration hardware crystal lamp which was “clearance.” ‘salright, but it’s no gourd lamp.
Natural,handicraft Gourd Lamps..
I’ve being researching about lamps because I need to buy one, and I’ve found your post very helpful 🙂 . I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog!
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You should check out Shades of Light.com. They also have a good selection of gourd lamps and they’re very reasonably priced.